Oh, the Places You'll Stand!

Towards the beginning of every year in our church, we hold a special night for the girls aged 12-18 to introduce them to the Young Women's Program and more specifically to help them know and understand the Personal Progress program that helps them to set and reach spiritual goals in their lives.  

It's a pretty big evening.

And since I am one of the Young Women leaders, that translates into a lot of preparation and work! 

The church-wide youth theme for the year is "Stand in Holy Places".

We decided to take a Seuss-ical spin on this theme for our "New Beginnings" night and use the book "Oh, The Places You'll Go!".  I changed up and added a few rhymes to the poem to make it fit with our theme and we called the evening "Oh, the Places You'll Stand!".  

It was a very fun night that miraculously came together after I spent all day making fruit tarts from scratch, preparing a talk to give to the Young Women, and making decorations all while managing a child who peed on the floor and left tracks throughout the house while the other child pooped in the bathtub moments before we had to leave for the church (kids, they find the most convenient times, don't they?!)

I feel so blessed to be able to work with the Young Women.  It has been rewarding and as I have starting going through the Personal Progress program again (after completing it in high school), I have been seeing several positive changes in my life.  I'm pretty sure that I am gaining so much more than I am giving and am feeling a little guilty for it.  

Thanks to the girls and the other leaders for a wonderful evening and here is to a year of creating and standing in "holy places". :)

Oh, The Places You'll Stand!

Congratulations! 

Today is your day.

You're off to holy places!

You're off and away! 

You have values in your heart.

You have feet in your shoes. 

You can steer yourself 

any direction you choose.

You've been prepared and supported,

and you know what you know.

And you are the one

who'll decide where to go. 

Oh, the places you'll stand!

You'll look up and down streets.

Look 'em over with care.

And to some you will say,

"I don't choose to go there!"

With your heart full of values 

and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down

any not-so-good street.

For you wear shoes of faith and divine nature,

the sturdiest around!

Along with shoes of choice and accountability

you'll head for higher ground. 

And when you come to fork in the road

and think you're in a bind,

Those shoes of knowledge, integrity, and virtue

will help you make up your mind.

Sometimes your may find yourself

surrounded by dust and dirt.

But just see how clean you remain

in shoes of individual worth and good works.

Oh, the places you’ll stand! 

There is work to be done!

There are people to serve,

and challenges to overcome. 

And the magical thing

you can do with those shoes

is make every place holy

if that’s what you choose. 

And will you succeed? 

Yes, you will indeed!

(In fact, it’s 100 percent guaranteed!)

Kid, you’re going to move mountains! 

So.....

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby of Bray

or Mordecai Ali Can Allen O’Shea,

you’re off to Holy Places! 

Today is your day! 

Your mountain is waiting.

Now...get on your way!